Dyers In Their Studios: Wendy of Shaggy Bear Farms

I
got started dyeing after I watched some ladies dyeing roving and it looked like
fun.I figured that with a farm with
lots of fiber around, I could play around with color and not do too much
damage.﻿

·What is your background?

We
moved to Oregon about ten years ago and started a “fiber farm.”We stared with a few Pygora goats, and a handful
of Jacob sheep.Now our farm is home to
more than 25 different breeds of fiber animals.

·Do you have any special experience with art or
science that influences your dying?

The
color choices used in my dye work come from the things I find on our farm.We have several breeds of rare breed chickens
and their feathers contain amazing color combinations.I figure that Mother Nature will never lead
you astray with a colorway.

Jacob, Navajo Churro, Icelandic, Romeldale, and Perendale sheep

Your Yarn

·What
makes your yarn special or unique?

My yarn is special because it
comes from the animals on our farm.Most
of the time I can look at the yarn and tell you which sheep, goats, or alpacas provided
the fiber for it.

·What is
something interesting about your dying process that non-dyers might not know?

Many people have a fear of dyeing
because they worry that they might make a mistake.Some of my most beautiful colorways have come
from a boo-boo.And if you do make a
mistake, usually you can dye it with another color or two and make a mistake
into magic.

·How do
you choose your colors and name your yarns?

If I had my way, every yarn would
be natural colored or blue.It dawned on
me one day that since I needed to dye yarn for customers who might like other
colors besides blue, I needed to expand my color choice horizons.So now I look outside my window for
inspiration in selecting my colors.I
give my yarns names based on what the colorway reminds me off.Usually it will be the first descriptor that
pops into my head.

·Where do
you find inspiration?

Good ol’ Mother Nature.

Jacob Sheep Yarn

Just The Facts﻿ ·How many
colorways do you have?

Dozens (watch later this week for a whole post of pics of Wendy's colors and yarns)

·Do you create
seasonal or special order colors?

I do custom order dyeing
frequently.

·How many
and what types of bases do you use?

I use yarns from the 25 different
breeds we raise on our farm.

·Where do
your yarn bases come from?

My yarns come from my own animals.

·Where can
we find your yarn? LYSs and online?

I sell at a number of fiber fairs
in Oregon, Washington, and California, as well as Northwest Wools in Portland, OR.People also contact me by phone or email (shaggybearfarms@yahoo.com).I ship regularly to customers all over the United
States.

Gotland Sheep Yarn

Personal

·What are your favorite colors?

Blue
and Gold—can never get enough of these two colors

·Favorite fibers?

That’s
like asking a mother which one of her kid’s is her favorite.I’ll never tell.

·Do you crochet, knit, or spin? What came first?

I
can do all three but none of them well.Knitting came first, then crocheting, and then spinning.Now I don’t have the time to do any of the
three.

·Anything else you would like to share?

My
sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas want to encourage your readers to try a new
yarn today.Variety (in yarn and in most
everything else) is the spice of life!

About Me

Crochet Designer, Instructor, and Author. Professional member of CGOA and TNNA. My children are my muses, inspiring many of my designs. This blog began with our NICU blanket project, donating in memory of my first daughter. Over time it has become about all things crochet, my designs, and crafting with my kids.
Find me as ReCrochetions on Facebook, Twitter, and Ravelry.